. we'll be in sochi, russia, a place nobody really knows anything about. so we get a scouting report tonight from nbc's jim maceda in sochi. >> reporter: welcome to sochi, host of the 2014 winter olympics. with a year to go on the countdown clock and temperatures in the mild 50s, citizens of this black sea resort, known more for its spas and palm trees, wonder why it was picked at all. i think it's pure show for putin on the international stage, she says. >> sochi is going to become a new world-class resort for the new russia and the whole world. >> reporter: russian president vladimir putin has kept that pledge, surprisingly made in english, six years ago. and has turned this into an olympic park. running it like a ceo every step of the way. today, the ice rinks are completed and hosting international events. while in the mountains, just 30 miles away, sochi's ski jump and other alpine runs are primed. putin, an avid skier himself, is pleased. so are u.s. competitors here. >> hopefully a lot of people will make the journey and i think it's going to be an amazing olympics. >> reporte